Migraine & Stroke Symptoms

More painful than your average headache, migraine sufferers report intense pain sometimes accompanied by visual disturbances or "auras." Auras may signal an impending migraine and appear as flashing lights or zigzagging lines that form a circle. The intense pain of the migraine may cause the sufferer to experience extreme nausea and vomiting. The person very commonly reports a sensitivity to light and sound. Occasionally a numbing or tingling sensation may be felt in the extremities or facial muscles. Speech difficulty and muscle weakness are two of the lesser experienced symptoms of migraines, but may occur in the individual sufferer. Generally the pain of migraines builds slowly and may last several hours. The symptoms of a migraine are not permanent, and migraines do not cause permanent brain damage.

The symptoms accompanying strokes are similar in nature to those of a migraine with numbness and tingling of the extremities and face. Speech difficulties and muscle weakness are more common in strokes than migraines. The headache that accompanies strokes occurs suddenly and severely. Visual disturbances such as loss of vision in one or both eyes may occur. A drooping of one eye and the mouth is also common. Mental confusion is equated more with a stroke than a migraine. Symptoms of a stroke may continue for several hours to several days with permanent residual deficits such as weakness in the limbs and cognitive functioning.

TIA symptoms are the same as those of a stroke. The difference between a TIA and migraines is a TIA will usually manifest itself as a sharp, severe and immediate headache whose intensity is similar to that of a full-blown migraine. These TIA are not accompanied by permanent deficits, but are a signal that a large stroke may be impending. It is important not to ignore the symptoms of a TIA and immediate emergency care should be sought.

Migraines may be treated with aspirin, acetaminophen or stronger prescription drugs from your doctor. If you suffer from migraines only on occasion, a rescue medication may be prescribed with instructions to take it at the first signs of a migraine headache. Your doctor may also prescribe a stronger drug that may be taken if you are unable to catch the migraine before it becomes severe. In the case of chronic migraine sufferers, a regular migraine prophylaxis drug may be prescribed. The first line of defense in strokes is usually treatment in the emergency room with tissue plasminogen activator or tPA. This drug, known as a blot buster, dissolves active clots and restores the blood flow to the brain. In 80 percent of stroke cases, a blot clot is the root cause. If given within three hours of a stroke, tPA is at its most effective.

Migraine sufferers should talk to their doctors about their symptoms and keep a journal of their headaches, listing the date, time, their activity and location when the migraines occur. Patients should also discuss their risk of stroke as determined by family genetics and lifestyle choices. It is important that close attention be given to any sudden severe headaches as this is usually not a typical sign of a migraine, although all other symptoms may mimic a migraine's.